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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · club · chip · deal · trunk · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. race — a contest
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. club — a group
  9. race — humankind
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com